mods

mods — noun

1. members of a British youth group from the 1960s who wore fashionable clothes and

1.nounB2
Definition

members of a British youth group from the 1960s who wore fashionable clothes and rode motor scooters. The Mods were known for their smart appearance and their love of soul, rhythm and blues, and ska music.

Example

The Mods of 1960s London wore sharp suits and rode customised Vespa scooters.

always plural: Mods + plural verb 'wore'

Kwame's grandfather was a Mod in the sixties and still has his original parka jacket.

Common collocations
  • Mods and Rockers
  • the Mods
  • sixties Mods
Antonyms
  • Rockers

    the rival British youth group of the 1960s, associated with leather jackets and motorcycles

Grammar Patterns

mods + plural verb

Usage Note

Always takes a plural verb: 'the Mods were...', not 'the Mods was...' The singular form is 'a Mod' (capitalised).

Common Mistakes

My dad was a Mods in the 1960s.
My dad was a Mod in the 1960s.
'Mods' is the plural; use 'Mod' for one person.
The Mods was famous for their style.
The Mods were famous for their style.
The group name takes a plural verb in British English.

2. short for 'moderators': the people who make sure the rules of an online discussi

2.nounB2
Definition

short for 'moderators': the people who make sure the rules of an online discussion group, forum, or chat room are followed, for example by removing offensive messages or blocking users who break the rules.

Example

The mods removed the comment because it contained personal attacks against another user.

short for moderator: mods remove / delete content

Tuan sent a message to the mods asking them to review a flagged post.

Common collocations
  • report to the mods
  • forum mods
  • subreddit mods
  • contact the mods
  • the mods banned
Synonyms
  • moderators

    the full, more formal version of 'mods'

  • admins

    admins have higher-level control over the whole platform, not just one group or forum

Grammar Patterns

the mods + plural verb

Usage Note

Very common in online communities and gaming platforms. The full word 'moderators' is more formal. On platforms like Reddit, Discord, and Twitch, 'mods' is the standard casual term.

Common Mistakes

The mods deleted my post without reason.
The mods deleted my post without giving a reason.
'Without reason' means 'for no logical cause'; the natural phrasing is 'without giving a reason.'

3. short for 'modifications': user-made or developer-made changes to a video game t

3.nounB1
Definition

short for 'modifications': user-made or developer-made changes to a video game that add new characters, levels, items, or change how the game looks or works.

Example

Hari downloaded several mods that added new weapons and vehicles to the game.

collocation: download / install mods

The most popular mods for Minecraft let players build with new types of blocks.

Common collocations
  • download mods
  • install mods
  • create mods
  • game mods
  • modding community
  • use mods
Synonyms
  • modifications

    the full, more formal version of 'mods' in gaming

  • add-ons

    broader term that can include official downloadable content, not just user-made changes

Grammar Patterns

download / install / play / use + mods

Usage Note

Used almost exclusively in video gaming contexts. The singular is 'a mod' (meaning one modification). Many games have a 'modding community' where players share their mods online.

Common Mistakes

I downloaded a mods for my game.
I downloaded a mod for my game.
Use 'a mod' (singular) for one modification; 'mods' for more than one.
This game has many mod.
This game has many mods.
The plural form 'mods' is needed with 'many'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Mods, moderators, and admins are all roles that manage online communities, but they differ in scope. 'Mods' is the informal short form of 'moderators' and is the most common term in gaming and social media contexts. 'Moderators' is the full form and sounds more formal — you might see it in the official rules of a forum. 'Admins' (short for administrators) have broader power than mods: they can change site settings, add or remove moderators, and manage the technical side of the platform. For example, a Reddit subreddit might have several mods who remove rule-breaking posts, but only one admin who can change the subreddit's visibility settings. In gaming, 'mods' also has a separate meaning (game modifications), which can cause confusion if the context is not clear.

mods ↗moderatorsadmins

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • report to the mods
  • download mods
  • install mods
  • contact the mods

Etymology

EnglishLatinFrench

The word 'mods' is the plural of 'mod', which is a shortening with three different origins depending on meaning. The 1960s youth subculture sense comes from 'modern' (referring to modern jazz and modern style). The online moderator sense is short for 'moderator', from Latin 'moderatus' meaning 'to control or guide'. The video game modification sense is short for 'modification', from Latin 'modificare' meaning 'to measure or limit'. All three shortened forms emerged in informal English during the 20th and 21st centuries.